Of Elflings and Adolescents
by Kasmi Kassim
Summary: Reconciled with Elrond, Thranduil sends his elfling to enjoy childhood in a mischief-filled Imladris. Takes place after The Strength of One Green Leaf, but can standalone.
1. Part 1

**Rating**: PG-13. Kids stay away. ::evil laughter::

**Disclaimer**: Nothing is mine.

**Author's Note**: I want to say thank you to those of you who gave me feedback on my last little vignette. You kind people gave me a real confidence boost!

I hope you enjoy!

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**_Of Elflings and Adolescents_**

**_Part 1_**

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Excited cries culminated in the halls as elves scurried to and fro, busying themselves in preparation. In the brilliant stream of sunlight, the bustling din could be heard leagues away. Shouts, murmurs, whispers and giggles – the House of Elrond was bursting with animation. The lord of Imladris was coming back today. And he would return with the news everyone both anticipated and dreaded: the news concerning the bridging of Imladris and Mirkwood.

Taking refuge from the chaotic clamor, two dark-haired youths quickly ducked into an empty bedroom and shut the door. Releasing a great breath of relief, they looked at each other. Identical smiles spread on identical faces.

"What do you think?" one of them turned toward a large glass window overlooking the courtyard. "Think Ada managed to reconcile with the Mirkwood king?"

The other laughed softly and approached the window as well. Resting his hand gently against the glass, he gazed down at the elves crowding in the courtyard. "I pray that is the case. But you know the history."

The golden afternoon sun spilled onto the trees and bushes, glinting off of the rich foliage of petals and robes swaying on the grass. The two youths turned away from the window and looked at each other. One of them smiled.

"I think it is time."

Dark blue robes swayed gently as the two leaned sideways against the wall and turned their heads toward the glass once again. Their dark eyes watched the stir of excitement in the courtyard below.

"There he comes," breathed one.

Far in the distance, a majestic procession trailed into the valley. A golden banner flapped at the head of the entourage, and alongside the banner rode the lord of Rivendell upon his chestnut steed. Following on horseback were other familiar faces of Imladris.

Smiling, the twins scoured the members of the entourage, their gaze resting lastly on their father once again. Then one of them frowned.

"Elrohir, look." He pointed toward the elven lord, who was now entering the courtyard. "Do you see that?"

Squinting, Elrohir brought himself closer to the window. His fingers rested against the glass as he widened his eyes. "Is that an elfling I see?"

Indeed, perched in front of the elven lord was a small elfling. Round eyes looked curiously around at the overjoyed crowd in the courtyard. A flowing stream of golden hair reflected the afternoon sun and sent dazzling rays of brilliance around the trees and bushes. All of the Rivendell elves were evidently making an effort not to stare, but their curiosity was failing to take complete cover. The elfling, on the other hand, was staring at everyone and everything with open curiosity.

"Blonde hair," murmured Elladan. "I wonder what this means?"

"Maybe Ada picked up a lost elfling on the way?" suggested Elrohir.

The twins stared at each other. Then they simultaneously burst into soft chuckles. Elladan turned back to the window, and suddenly frowned.

"Elrohir," he called distractedly. Elrohir leaned toward the window once again, following his brother's gaze. Elladan's eyes were narrowed, scrutinizing. "How old do you suppose he is?"

The twin scanned the child up and down. Clad in a light green traveling cloak, the small elfling looked in every way like a tender shoot of green spring. "Not even half a century, I wager," muttered Elrohir.

Elladan squinted harder. "But – tell me if I am seeing things – aren't those warrior plaits in his hair?"

Surprised, Elrohir leaned close to the window and looked down upon the approaching entourage. "By the Valar!" he exclaimed softly. "You're right, Elladan! That child has warrior plaits in his hair."

The procession was now trickling into the courtyard, and the last of the entourage filed into the open space overlooked by the majestic halls of Elrond.

Elladan tossed his dark hair back over his shoulder. "I can't believe it," he muttered softly, watching the elfling dismount from Elrond's horse. "A child so small, and he has felled an orc!"

As the elfling stood admiring the foreign scenery, a small bow could be seen strapped to his back. Indeed, the child was branded a defender after his first orc-slaying. The twins stared with wonder.

"Well," murmured Elrohir, "We would be missed."

The twins quickly turned on their heels and exited the room, hurrying down to greet the entourage.

By the time the twins had reached the courtyard, the elves were all dismounted and waiting. The two sons of Elrond eagerly embraced their father and exchanged words of greeting to the other members of the train, as greetings and exclamations were exchanged through the crowd. Soon, they came face to face with the small elfling who looked up curiously at them. The excited whispers of the crowd fell into a hushed silence. The lord of Rivendell smiled.

"Legolas, these are my sons." He pointed to Elladan. "This is Elladan, and-" he pointed toward the other twin – "this is Elrohir."

The elfling blinked and looked at one brother to another, bewildered at the similarity between the two personages before him. The twins broke into smiles. Elrond gently placed his hands upon the elfling's shoulders. "Children, this is Legolas – Legolas Thranduilion."

Gasps of surprise spread about the crowd like wildfire. The twins stood still, seemingly paralyzed, their eyes wide and mouth hanging open. They stared first at the elfling, and then at their father. The crowd fell into a hush once again, tension rising in the silent air.

It was Elladan who broke the silence first. Composing himself, he bowed deeply, a genuine smile lighting his fair features. "Welcome to Imladris, prince of Mirkwood." His voice was gentle, sincere.

Elrohir followed, also bowing deeply with a smile. "We are honored to have you in our house."

Only then did the elfling finally seem to realize that the two persons standing before him were actually separate life forms after all. He touched his heart and solemnly bowed. Golden tresses streamed down small shoulders, glinting in the sun; thin cords of warrior plaits tapped gently against his face. "You have my gratitude," he said quietly. "It is an honor to be here." The young voice was composed, much more composed than the twins would have expected. They exchanged bemused glances.

When the prince raised his head, the whole of Rivendell was bowing to him. He blinked. Elrond smiled down at the confused blue eyes as they looked about curiously.

"Elladan and Elrohir will stay with you until supper," said the elven lord, nudging the elfling's shoulder. "They will tell you everything you want to know about Imladris. Go unpack your things, and feel free to enjoy yourself. This will be your home for as long as you would like."

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Seated atop his enormous bed, Legolas looked wonderingly about himself. Everything was so...different. The ceiling, the walls, the furniture, the windows, the trees – everything was foreign, and his eyes hungrily absorbed every new detail. He was transported to an entirely new world. So bright, so golden, instead of green. He turned his gaze toward the door when a gentle rapping broke his train of thought.

"Come in." He quickly scrambled off of the bed and stood erect, staring at the door expectantly.

The door swung open, and a pair of dark eyes smiled upon him. Legolas hastily bobbed his head. "Ella...hir." He stopped midway through his bow and frowned, carefully repeating the name again. "Ellahir." It didn't sound right.

The dark-haired youth laughed melodiously as he closed the door. "No, Legolas, I am Elrohir. Elladan is talking to my father right now."

Legolas blinked. He really didn't see the difference.

Smiling still, Elrohir approached him and gestured toward the bed. Legolas hopped back up and plopped down, facing Elrohir, who seated himself with composure and inherent grace. Large eyes peered up at Elrohir.

"Why do you and Elladan look alike?"

With a quiet laugh, Elrohir rubbed his eyes. "It is because we are twins." He and Elladan had been through this conversation numerous times with their younger sister.

"Twins?" Legolas was baffled. "What is twins?"

Elrohir smiled. "It's when two people are born at the same time and look exactly alike. Very unusual, but sometimes it happens at birth." When he saw the elfling frown in confusion, he chuckled. "Now, tell me about Mirkwood. I want to hear all about your beautiful home."

As the elfling perked up and began chatting excitedly about his home, the young lord of Imladris smiled thoughtfully to himself. This was looking to be...quite interesting.

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"I almost can't believe it."

Elladan shook his head, breathing out a relieved sigh. He raised his eyes and looked once again toward his father, who was pacing languidly around the study.

"After all of that...it seems too good to be true."

Elrond glanced at his son, and smiled fleetingly. His dark eyes softened, sending forth a hint of the depths of the ages he had seen, had experienced. He spoke no words, however. He never did speak when he was remembering.

He slowly approached the giant glass window and stood facing the warmth of the afternoon sun.

"The king has asked me to bring his son here, because of you two."

"Us? You mean Elrohir and I?" Elladan looked utterly bewildered. Too many surprises had struck blow after blow.

Elrond turned around and nodded toward his son. "Yes, you two. I have already sent Elrohir into Legolas' room to get acquainted. I want you to tell him all that I tell you now."

Elladan nodded. He stood still, watching his father expectantly, as Elrond approached him.

"Prince Legolas is the youngest elf in Mirkwood."

Elladan raised an eyebrow.

Elrond continued solemnly. "Not only is he the youngest, but the elf closest to his age is at least several hundred years older."

Elladan raised his other eyebrow. "Ada, Arwen and I are about that far apart in years."

"Almost, but not quite." Elrond smiled upon his skeptical son. "As long as Legolas is here, I want you and Elrohir to relieve yourselves of patrol duty."

A knowing smile appeared upon the youth's fair face. "So you want us to return to being elflings, and help the child enjoy his childhood years...is that it?"

His father smiled. "You are a smart elfling, Elladan."

Elladan scowled. "I wish you'd stop calling me that."

Laughing softly, Elrond tousled his son's hair. "I'll consider it when you grow to be as tall as me."

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**_To Be Continued_**

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To the reviewers of _To Live Another Day_:

**Someone Reading**: I was so surprised that my vignette was so satisfying. My perfectionist self was quite bothered by the fact that it was rough and unpolished, though I was the one who made the decision to leave it that way. Thank you so much for such detailed and kind review!

**Gozilla**: Really? Hehehe. Thank you!

**farflung**: I'm so glad you enjoyed it muchly! Heh. Thank you for your continuous support!

**Coolio02**: That is so relieving to hear. Thank you!

**Puxinette**: I am excited to hear that! Thank you so much!

**Ithildiel**: Wow, I'm thrilled that you liked it better that way! Thank you for your kind words!

**Karri**: Ooh, thank you! ::grin::

**willardanimalsrock**: I hope I give you a better satisfaction with this one, as it will be longer. Thank you!

**kingmaker**: I am so gratified. Thank you for such kind words. But you are a stunning writer yourself, admit it! Hahaha! Thank you again!

**Unsung Heroine**: I'm glad you liked it. Thank you!

**elvingirl3737**: It's relieving to hear that I managed to! I hope you like this one as well!

**Templa Otmena**: Oh, really? I never thought so...thank you! More Aragorn-Legolas fics will come. And you're right, sometimes I do wish I could just stay in a room all day and be left alone to write! Hahaha. Thank you again!

**Leannan-S**: I'm stunned that you liked my style. I think it's weird, but hey ;) Legolas is my greatest target and most hellish challenge. Know what I mean? As a writer, you know. Heh. I'm glad I was able to bring him out like I intended, and that you like my portrayal of the characters. Thank you!

**Beling**: Your grasp of my stories always astound me. Thank you for your kind review once again!


	2. Part 2

**Rating**: PG-13. Kids stay away. ::evil laughter::

**Disclaimer**: Nothing is mine.

**Author's Note**: Thank you to **Nathalia Potter**, who reviewed _The Strength of One Green Leaf_!

**Attention readers, especially the kind reviewers who had asked me about the development of this story: **

Unlike _The Strength of One Green Leaf_, this story will not be a cohesive structure of trials and resolutions. The elfling's stay is long, and things happen now and then, and I did not want to organize it and stuff all the episodes into one narrative. This is just a little episode with an introduction that follows the last chapter of _The Strength of One Green Leaf_ but does not follow the same vein. It doesn't even have to be called a sequel. I personally think there are enough great fanfics out there with little Legolas causing mischief in Rivendell, and because I cannot hunt them all down and read them, I decided not to take the risk of being cliché. I am going to leave the details of the Imladris stay to your imagination, and will only provide small examples of this and that. That means no Glorfindel in this story, and no account of what it took for friendship to form, etc. I am very sorry to disappoint the many of you. But Glorfindel will make an appearance in the future, as I will hold true to my word and write more little snippets of the Imladris episodes as small vignettes. And the twins will further make appearances in the future as well. I hope you are not too disappointed. Thank you for reading!

On with the story...

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**_Of Elflings and Adolescents_**

**_Part 2_**

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Imladris was beginning to enter the golden season of autumn. Rich foliage drifted down from the trees, carpeting the forest grounds with colorful layers of quaint beauty. Sunlight was ripening with harvest gold, seeping through trees that were beginning to shed their shrouds of green. A gentle peace rested in the hush of the forest. The tranquility was only broken by soft voices ringing inside a small cave.

"Coast clear?"

Elrohir giggled. Elladan craned his neck and looked around outside. Then he ducked into the cave once more, grinning. "Just like old times."

Legolas, crouched in the furthermost corner, hugged his pillow tight. His bright blue eyes sparkled excitedly in the dark.

"Won't Lord Elrond miss us?"

Elrohir shook his head and began to lay out the blankets onto the cave floor. "Don't worry. Elladan and I have done this countless times before. Besides, we're in the safe borders." Elladan shuffled the pillows around, making a neat bedding on the cave floor. With a delighted cry, Legolas threw himself down onto the soft bedding. Elladan and Elrohir also lay down and sighed contentedly, while the elfling giggled and rolled around.

"Let's see if our friend can stay the whole night this time," grinned Elladan. Legolas sat up, scrunching up his face with an indignant look.

"That wasn't fair. You said there were spiders!"

Elrohir shrugged innocently. "There probably were. It was an old cave."

"But you never told me that Rivendell spiders were so small!" protested Legolas. Elladan and Elrohir laughed.

"We thought they'd be big enough for an elfling your size." Elrohir ducked as Legolas lunged toward him.

Pouting, Legolas mumbled something under his breath. He glanced out into the trees, and turned back toward the twins. "Why were you running away from that lady, anyway?"

At this question, the twins looked at each other. Elladan's lips twitched into a smirk. "_I_ wasn't. Elrohir was."

Elrohir scowled at his brother. "Whose fault is that? You knew she was infatuated with you when you claimed to be me! Now I have to suffer in your place!"

Elladan leaned in closer, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Cheer up, brother dear. We can take turns being Elladan. She can't tell the difference anyway."

Annoyed, Elrohir pushed Elladan's face away. "Oh, stop being such an adolescent."

His twin shrugged innocently. "But we _are_ adolescents."

While Elrohir was rolling his eyes at this comment, Legolas piped in.

"What is adolescent?"

Remembering then that the elfling was listening, the twins quickly discarded their topic of conversation. Turning toward the prince, they smiled simultaneously in a sweet and innocent way, which made the elfling look at them suspiciously. Unfortunately for the twins, Legolas was a bright elfling, and he already knew them too well.

"It's the stage of life when you're not an elfling anymore but not quite grown up yet," said Elladan.

The suspicion forgotten, Legolas widened his eyes in awe. "Really? How do we know when we're there? Am I adolescent?"

Elrohir laughed, pulling his knees closer to himself. "No, Legolas. Usually one can tell. It comes with-" he glanced at his twin – "...certain discoveries."

His brother raised an eyebrow. He then glared at Elrohir when the elfling started chiming that he wanted to know about these discoveries. Elrohir started, realizing his mistake.

"Just give him a lecture on how elflings are made, why don't you," mumbled Elladan. Elrohir busied himself with staring at a crack in the wall.

"How are elflings made?" Legolas was not one to miss an opportunity to learn. And one did learn such interesting things from these two.

The twins suddenly became very distracted. While Elrohir was still studying the crack in the wall, Elladan put himself to work by shuffling the already-neat pillows around, humming loudly. Legolas scowled. These two were hiding something.

"I want to know!"

Elrohir threw himself onto the bedding, suddenly looking very sleepy. Elladan leaned against his brother's stomach and began to snore.

Infuriated, the elfling hopped onto Elladan's stomach, making the twins yelp in surprise. "Tell me!" he chimed, shaking the brothers with all his might.

Wearily, Elladan sat up and lifted the elfling off of himself. "We would like to tell you, Legolas. But we don't know how." He glanced at Elrohir. "We can't tell him the way our grandmother told us, can we?"

Horrified, Elrohir shot up into a sitting position. "Are you mad?" he hissed fiercely. "When his father hears about it, he will cook us for dinner!"

Perplexed, Legolas looked up and creased his brows at Elrohir's absurd comment. "Ada doesn't cook elves for dinner," he stated matter-of-factly. And then he sank into contemplation, and thoughtfully added with less certainty, "Though I don't know for sure about adolescents."

Elrohir and Elladan looked at each other and laughed nervously. When the laughter died down, they stared at each other, and quickly shook their heads in distaste. "No, we can't," concluded Elladan. "And I am _not_ going to explain it like Ada did."

Elrohir smirked. "You can't even remember it."

"Remember what?" piped in Legolas.

The twins looked away from each other and coughed. They both lay back down on the bedding, staring at the ceiling of the cave. Legolas growled, and pounced on Elrohir. "Why don't you want me to know?" he demanded skeptically.

Elrohir was forced to sit up once again, prying the elfling off of his lap. "No, no, Legolas. It's not that we don't want you to know-" he glanced down at Elladan, who was still sprawled on the bedding, arching an eyebrow toward his direction. "-well, maybe we don't, but that's not exactly-"

Impatient, Legolas zoomed his face down to Elladan's, his large eyes only a hair away from the twin's eyes. Startled, Elladan yelped and grabbed the elfling's arms to push him away. Squirming, Legolas persisted. "How are elflings made?" he demanded, unnerving Elladan with his intent and proximal stare.

Sighing, Elladan rolled his eyes and laid back. "Tell him, Elrohir. It's not taboo."

Elrohir sighed as well. He scratched his head. "I would," he mumbled, "if I knew how."

Legolas sat up straight, his bright blue eyes alert and attentive. Elrohir scratched his head furiously. Legolas tilted his head, curious and expectant.

"Well, there aren't any elflings around here...because Arwen is in Lothlorien." Elrohir felt an eyebrow-raised look coming from Elladan. He began to pull on his hair, and muttered something softly under his breath when his fingers become entangled with his neat warrior plaits. "There weren't any elflings born since Arwen, and that's because...there weren't any more elflings being made." He pulled his fingers out of the plaits and smoothened out his hair in annoyance.

Legolas frowned. He dubiously glanced back at Elladan, who lazily nodded his head in agreement. The elfling turned back to Elrohir.

"So?" he demanded.

Elrohir coughed. He reached out to poke Elladan's ribs. When the twin shot up with a shriek, Elrohir lay down. "Take over, brother dear."

Elladan glared at his twin, muttering something about unfairness. Then he turned to Legolas. He stared at the wide-eyed elfling for a moment, and then sighed. He lazily scratched his ear. "Elflings aren't born randomly. They have to be made in a very...intimate way." He yelped when the back of Elrohir's hand swiftly knocked his stomach.

"How?" The elfling's large innocent stare was beginning to unnerve Elladan. He stared up at the ceiling.

When he realized that no more answers would be forthcoming, Legolas scowled. He glanced at Elrohir, who tried his best to look innocent. Frustrated, the elfling sat still, biting his nails, until his eyes lit with excitement. "I know!" He sat up straight. "I can ask Lord Elrond!" he cried happily.

The twins exchanged glances. Elladan pulled on his warrior plaits absentmindedly. "I doubt that would satisfy you, though you are welcome to try." His tone was skeptical.

Legolas frowned again. "Why?"

Elrohir sat up. He exchanged glances with his twin. The brothers broke into soft laughter.

"Do you remember-"

"Yes, that was the longest lecture of my life-"

"And it gets longer every time-"

"Took us forever to finally learn from her-"

Puzzled, Legolas broke in. "Why won't I be satisfied with what Lord Elrond tells me?"

The twins turned to look at him, their dark eyes twinkling with fond memories. Elladan grinned.

"Oh, Elrohir and I were as old as you are now, I think. We asked Ada how elflings are made." He glanced at Elrohir, who giggled. "He sat us down in chairs, and explained for an hour about the scientific process that occurs within the body upon the hour of conception. We went away completely baffled." He chuckled.

Elrohir nodded in agreement. "We asked Erestor afterwards, but he told us to ask Ada again – so we did. By then, we were much older. You would think we would have understood by then." He laughed aloud, shaking his head. "But Ada gave us a lecture at least three times as long, going into all sorts of expert details. We went away even more confused, if that was at all possible."

Legolas sat before them, eyes wide, as he tried to digest the information. His eyes glittered brightly in the darkness of the cave. "Scientific?" His tone was awed. "There's science involved in making elflings?"

Elladan laughed. "Believe me, you don't want to know. You will learn in your good time."

Elrohir gently pulled Legolas onto his back, lying down onto the blankets with him. "Let's sleep now, shall we? I'm tired from our excursion this morning."

Only then did the elfling notice that daylight had given way to darkness outside. Stars were glimmering in the thick blue sky. Blinking in the dark, Legolas stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't get the question out of his mind. He wanted to know.

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**_To Be Continued_**

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**Leannan-S**: Thank you! I hope this little story will be to your liking.

**Nikki1**: Sorry to disappoint you...I hope this will suffice. Thank you for your review!

**Starlit Hope**: Thank you!

**LOTRFaith**: I'm sorry there is no Glorfindel in this story – but I did start a vignette with him in it, just for you! Hahaha. Thank you for your review!

**Brazgirl**: This story is very different from my last one; I hope I don't disappoint you too badly. Thank you for your review!

**Unni**: Wow, do I feel loved or what? Thank you so much; I missed you too! Honestly! ;) I do hope you get to come online more often...good luck in your exams!

**Templa Otmena**: Haha, I am actually working on another Aragorn-Legolas vignette. The twins are not going to be too developed in this one, sorry to say, but they will make an appearance in my frighteningly extensive story later on. Thank you for your kind review!

**Someone Reading**: Yes, Thranduil did give him the braids...::sniff:: And Elladan and Elrohir are difficult to write about, since I really don't know them...but I shall try my best to depict them as how I see them! Thank you!

**Coolio02**: Ooh, thank you! I hope this story pleases you!

**mistopurr**: Uh oh, now I'm in trouble. Hehe. I hope I don't disappoint you with the shortness and lightness of this fic...thank you for your kind words!

**Karri**: Ahh, you make me feel guilty! I skipped right over the segment you were looking forward to! Sorry, but I know you're a fantastic writer and have wonderful ideas about that on your own already...hehehe. Thank you for reviewing again!


	3. Part 3

**Rating**: PG-13. Kids stay away. ::evil laughter::

**Disclaimer**: Nothing is mine. No, wait, the plot is mine. All of my fanfics belong to me as far as the plot goes. Don't steal. Unless you can transform them to make them look purely yours. ;)

**Author's Note**: Thank you to **Cosmic Castaway**, who reviewed _The Strength of One Green Leaf_! I'm so glad you reviewed that story for me even after it was completed! It really means much.

THANK YOU SO MUCH reviewers. Those of you who drop me a line, thank you for your troubles; those of you who continuously keep me company in my writing adventures, you kind people have no idea how much it means to me. Thank you so much!

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**_Of Elflings and Adolescents_**

**_Part 3_**

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The banner flapped vigorously in the wind, its vivid green bursting with vitality among barren trees. Gray clouds in the sky were beginning to clear, narrow streams of sunlight beaming down upon them. Elrond stepped forth with a broad smile as the leader of the entourage lightly dismounted his horse.

"Welcome to Imladris – at last."

Bright blue eyes smiled back at him. "Well met, my friend."

Elrond placed an affectionate hand on the Mirkwood king's arm, his own dark eyes glowing with warmth. He looked over the king's shoulder and scanned the small band of elves. He turned back to Thranduil and raised an eyebrow. "You _are_ here to stay, are you not?"

Before an answer could be formed, he cut it off. "Because you are staying a while, whether you want to or not."

It was then Thranduil's turn to raise his eyebrows. "I always knew you to be the domineering kind." He smirked roguishly.

Laughing, the lord of Rivendell began to guide the entourage toward his house. The Rivendell elves bowed and parted to make way for their guests; joyful smiles and eager whispers could be seen and heard among the crowds. The benevolent ruler of the hidden valley had never looked so happy in a long time.

As he walked forward, Thranduil looked around, awe evident in his eyes as he took in the beauty of the valley with appreciation. There was a golden beauty here that differed from the magnificence of the green woods. He smiled. This place was sure to have made his little babe very happy.

"Legolas is faring well."

The sudden voice of the elf beside him broke him out of his thoughts. Thranduil smiled appreciatively at Elrond, who smiled back with understanding in his eyes. Though Thranduil showed his trust by courteously withholding his curiosity, he knew that the king was anxious to hear about the well being of his child.

"My sons have completely reverted to elflings, thanks to him," mused the dark-haired elven lord. "And Legolas is much brighter than he was before he arrived here."

Thranduil let out a small sigh of relief.

"I owe much thanks to your kind sons," he said softly.

Elrond shook his head. His eyes took on a distant look as they combed the contours of the valley. "I must thank _you_, my friend. My sons have also grown up in shadow. The loss of their mother came later than your child's loss, but a part of their childhood was taken away all the same." He turned to smile at Thranduil, who regarded him in silence. "It is a blessing to hear the laughter of three little elflings in the valley."

Thranduil cast his glance down, pale eyes glimmering thoughtfully. "When I take him back," he stated, "Your sons must come to stay in my realm as well."

Elrond smirked. "I always knew you to be the domineering kind."

The two elvenlords burst into good-humored laughter, as they moved idly among the golden carpet of leaves.

It was not long after they had begun walking toward the great halls that the woodland king's sharp ears picked up light tapping of feet on the ground. And he recognized the nimble steps immediately.

"Adaaaaaaaaaa!"

From between the foliage of bushes leading to the forest paths burst forth a golden-haired elfling. He bounded across the gardens, arms outstretched and eyes sparkling with exuberance, and darted straight toward his father. Elrond gasped softly. The elfling was sopping wet, and caked in mud.

Thranduil's eyes momentarily widened at the state of his child, but he smiled and knelt onto the ground, opening his arms. The elfling flung himself straight into the outstretched arms, nearly knocking over the mighty king in the process. "Ada, Ada!" he cried, squeezing his father's neck with his own small arms. "I missed you!"

Thranduil laughed softly as he buried his face in his child's hair. "I missed you too, little Greenleaf." He stood up, holding the elfling close to himself as water began to spread against his chest. Legolas was attached to him like a magnet, head buried in his father's muddied robes as he breathed in his scent. Thranduil turned to smile at Elrond, who was watching with an affectionate twinkle in his eyes. "My thanks, Elrond."

The dark-haired lord shook his head. "Your son is a delight to have in my house, Thranduil. I was sorely tempted to keep him to myself if I didn't have you to worry about."

Thranduil smirked. "Wise choice. It would be a pity to dispose the valley of its ruler." Elrond laughed. Chuckles could be heard here and there among the other elves as well.

The two elven lords turned toward the direction from which the elfling had come, when they heard light footsteps coming from the same path. Multiple footsteps. Thranduil realized right away that these must be the kind sons of Elrond. Elrond raised an eyebrow suspiciously, a father's instinctive dread taking over.

"You little rascal!"

Two dark-haired youths, still in the blossoming of growth, bounded out from the bushes and dived straight toward Legolas, their eyes riveted on the elfling alone. They were dripping wet as well, and caked in mud from head to foot. Pieces of leaves, roots, and other various assortments of foliage were attached to their mud-covered bodies, waving gently in the wind as they ran. Revenge was written plain on their identical - and scowling - faces.

Thranduil, holding the elfling in his arms, gracefully stepped out of the way as the twins nearly collided into him. The brothers skidded to a halt, and nearly yelped when they saw the composed figure of the stately blond elf. They looked around, wide-eyed, at the circle of elves in the area. And their father pressing his temples, eyes closed.

With a look of panic, they hurriedly bowed their head. Pieces of dirt and leaves fell off from their hair.

"Eh, uh, welcome to Imladris, King Thranduil," said one of the twins hastily.

"Yes, yes, honored to have you in our lake. Er, house," added the other.

Elrond rubbed his temple harder. He raised his eyes to meet the twinkling gaze of the woodland king. "My..." he gestured wearily toward the youths- "...sons."

He could hear suppressed giggles culminating among the entourage of guests, as well as among the elves of his own household.

The Mirkwood king's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter as he turned back toward the fidgeting youths. "My thanks, noble lords," he said in a composed tone, though his shoulders continued to betray his stifled laugh. "'Tis an honor to be here."

The twins shot each other dark glances and looked up hesitantly at their father, who simply shook his head and turned away to guide the guests inside the house. Breathing out a sigh of relief, they glared at the elfling, who was still latched onto his father's chest, watching them curiously over the broad shoulder. As the king turned away to follow Elrond inside, the elfling stuck out his tongue. Elladan shook a silent fist toward him, and quickly dropped his hand when the Mirkwood elves began to smile.

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The lords of the two elven realms were chatting pleasantly when their sons presented themselves at the banquet. Elrond raised his eyebrow at the now-clean forms of his children, who grinned sheepishly. They were respectively dressed in burgundy and indigo robes, their pale skin and dark hair glowing with youth and grace. Legolas, also washed clean and put in a decent green tunic, immediately hopped onto the chair next to his father and began to chat enthusiastically about the beauty of Imladris and the many adventures he had shared with the twins. Thranduil listened attentively, nodding and answering with interest; he had not touched his food at all. His eyes were riveted on his happily chatting elfling alone, thirstily drinking in the sight of his glowing child.

As the chatter went on, the twins restlessly shifted in their seats, hoping that Legolas would not mention anything that would put them in an unfavorable light in the eye of the king. Thranduil did not seem like an elf to be reckoned with. They had already decided that when their father muttered the previous day how he wished he could keep the dear elfling to himself; Glorfindel had advised him against it, because "I have seen that elf shoot his arrows and I do _not_ want to be at the receiving end of them." Elrond had smiled and agreed that those words were very true.

"...and so we had to stay there for two nights!"

The elfling took a great breath, smiling with satisfaction. Thranduil smiled, and patted his elfling's cheek, gently urging him to eat.

The twins sighed a great breath of relief when Legolas became quiet. They finally picked up their silverware and began to eat. Elrond had also ceased to watch them with a scrutinizing eye. It seemed that their trials were over.

Legolas, watching the twins gulp down the food, suddenly perked up. Eyes sparkling, he tugged at his father's sleeve. When Thranduil turned toward him attentively, the elfling chirped with wide, curious eyes: "Ada, how are elflings made in a very intimate way?"

The twins choked.

Elrond raised an eyebrow at his sons, who were coughing madly and reaching for water. Thranduil's gaze also darted toward them, and then toward his child. And back at them. He blinked. "What makes you ask that, little Greenleaf?"

Legolas looked toward the twins, frowning inquisitively at their sudden attack of indigestion. "They couldn't explain it to me."

Thranduil turned his head to watch the twins, whose gazes were averted as they continued to cough and gag. His pale blue eyes bore into their flustered expressions, and then moved onto Elrond's sigh, and then rested on the expectant gaze of his curious elfling. He looked up toward the ceiling, pondering. And he stared for a while, as his child waited patiently, before finally opening his mouth to speak.

"When the love of two bound elves becomes very strong," he spoke slowly, thoughtfully, "it becomes a prayer in itself, and passes on to create a third being. That being is the fruit of love, made possible by the blessing of the Valar." He smiled and patted the elfling's cheek. "That's why elflings are so special."

Legolas nodded solemnly, and went back to eating.

Elladan and Elrohir stared at each other.

"Why couldn't Ada tell us like that?" one of them whispered.

From the opposite side of the table, head bowed in apparent concentration over food, Elrond smirked.

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**_The End_**

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**Someone Reading**: Ooh, thank you very much! I learned another Sindarin phrase! Yay! I will make sure to look into that site when I get the time...usually I spend all my free time (and not-so-free-time) working on my fanfics! And your reviews are so poetic and beautiful, they never fail to amaze me. Thank you so much!

**Deana**: Heh. Nope, he just went and asked someone else...thank you for your review!

**Cosmic Castaway**: Thank you! I'm glad I made you happy! Hehehe.

**Unsung Heroine**: That's so nice of you, to review both of my chapters. And wait, I have a final exam in Drama class coming up, and I had to write about Renaissance theatre for my midterm! Hahaha. Thank you for reviewing!

**Kitty**: Ooh, really? I am glad you enjoyed my last story! That story's my babe. Hehehe. I'm glad I made you laugh! Thank you for your review!

**xAKGIRLx**: Haha, you needn't be sorry – thank you for coming back!

**frodo16424**: Ooh, I really didn't know that I was capable of writing funny pieces! Thank you for reviewing!

**Templa Otmena**: I'm glad you are able to grasp my twins' characters so well in this short little story. And it is so gratifying to hear that my little story made people smile or laugh! I never thought I was capable of that. Hehehe. Thank you!

**LOTRFaith**: Yes, I am really working on a vignette involving Glorfindel, just because you wanted one. See how much power reviewers can have on poor desperate amateur writers? ;) Thank you for your review again!

**Ithildiel**: Hehehe, what do you think Galadriel told them? Whatever she said made them suddenly get a very clear understanding...and probably not approvable by Thranduil, concerning his babe...hehehe. Thank you for your words; to hear that you were going to review the last chapter makes me happy just the same!

**Beling**: Ooh! Reviews for each chapter! And such deliciously long ones too! You're too kind. ;) I truly feel like a theatre artist when a reader understands and grasps my vision without me having to explain everything...it makes me so gratified and I can feel the wonderful harmonizing collaboration with writer and reader! And I am so very happy that I managed to make someone happy for the day. What a treat. Thank you!

**Brazgirl**: I hope his appearance here made you happier than without...;) yes, I know that Thranduil is your hero. But he's mine too. Too bad I don't own him...sigh. Thank you for reviewing!

**mistopurr**: Yes, it is a very troublesome question for children. Hehe. Thank you for reviewing, and thank you also for telling me that you liked my last story! It makes me extra happy. ;)

**Sy-wen**: Thank you! I hope you get to read more fanfics when summer hits! 'Cuz I plan to do some more writing, and I would love to have you! ;)

**CaptainInuyasha777**: Ooh, a review for each chapter! How kind of you. Thank you much!

**willardanimalsrock**: I'm glad to hear that! Thank you!

**Coolio02**: Ooh! Thank you! I hope the ending was to your liking!


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